On this day in 1987, U2 released what would become the bestselling album of their career.
The Joshua Tree was U2's fifth studio album released on Island Records. It's been said the inspiration for the album came from frontman Bono's experience in El Salvador and Nicaragua, where he witnessed the devastation as US backed rebels attacked and burned villages. He was stuck by the contrasting visions of the most powerful nation in the world. His vision was to title the new album The Two Americas. To show the real America against the mythical America.
“Two Americas, the mythic America and the real America – harsh reality alongside the dream,” he wrote. “It was prosperous and it was parched, and I began to see this era as a spiritual drought. I started thinking about the desert, and what came together was quite a clear picture of where I was at personally – a little off-kilter in my emotional life but very much waking up as a writer and as a commentator on what I saw around me, my love of America and my fear of what America could become.”
The band began recording and producing the album in Danesmoate House in Rathfarnham, Ireland after The Edge convinced the owner to rent it to the band. It was a make-shift studio using the dining rooms and drawing rooms for controls rooms and recording. The wanted to 'get away' from the popular sounds of the 80's.
- The Tracks
'With or Without You' would be the albums lead single. A song about tension in a romantic relationship. Bono said
there’s nothing more revolutionary than two people loving each other. One, ’cause it’s so uncommon these days, and two, ’cause it’s so difficult to do
The single roared to #1 on Billboard, becoming the bands first number-one hit.
'Red Hill Mining Town' was set to be the second single. But the band didn't like how the video turned out and Bono said he had difficulty singing the song. So they canceled the single and decided on 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' in it's place. And just like their first single, it went straight to number one, giving the band two consecutive number one tracks. The song, more of the anthem-style, was said to have been born out of a jam session influenced by the gospel music they enjoyed while in the southern states.
'Where the Streets Have No Name' was released in August of '87 as the 3rd single. And while it didn't hit number one, like it's predecessors, it did make it to number 13. Bono said he wrote the lyrics in response to the notion that it is possible to identify a person's religion and income based on the street the lived on (particularly in Belfast). The song itself was a difficult one for the band to record. Producer Enos said
"that was the science project song. I remember having this massive schoolhouse blackboard, as we call them. I was holding a pointer, like a college professor, walking the band through the chord changes like a fucking nerd. It was ridiculous."
It even got the the point where Eno was ready to 'stage an accident' and record over the takes. The studio version of the song is actually compiled from several takes of the song.
But what most people will recall about this song (and this album) is the video. It was shot in a block of Los Angeles. Where the band ascends to the rooftop of a liquor store at the corner of 7th and Main. Local radio stations heard about the location and tipped off listeners and soon a large crowd had gathered. Eventually the police had to tell the crew to shut it down and are depicted in the video of them attempting to clear the band from the rooftop. So the video is actually recoded in 'real-time'. The video went on the win the Grammy for Best Performance Music Video in 1989.
On 'Bullet The Blue Sky', Bono sang about 'fighter planes/across the mud huts as children sleep' and an unnamed man (later revealed as Ronald Regan) 'peelin' off those dollar bills (one Hundred, two hundred) and The Edge was instructed to make his guitar 'scream and wail'.
The lyrics were partially inspired by Bono seeing a mural in El Salvador of Reagan in a chariot depicted as the Pharaoh, with Salvadorans as "the children of Israel running away"
Bullet would go on to become one of U2's signature songs, as it was played at nearly every live show.
Wrapping up, what could be the best 'side one' albums of all time, was 'Running to Stand Still'. A slow ballad that describes a heroin-addicted couple living in Dublin's Ballymun flats. Critics
I see seven towers
But I only see one way out
"After the first few times through [it], you notice the remarkable music... It sounds like a lovely, peaceful reverie – except that this is a junkie's reverie, and when that realization hits home, the gentle acoustic lullaby acquires a corrosive power."
- The Art
The album sleave was based on U2's request to depict "imagery, and cinematic location" in the desert. They challenged photographer Anton Corbijn to search for locations that would capture that idea. They toured on a bus through the Mojave Desert, Reno, Bodie, Twentynine Palms and Death Valley.
Corbin told the band about Joshua Trees (Yucca Brevifolia) that were in the southwest. Bono liked the idea, based off their religious significance - according to Mormon legend, the trees were named after the Old Testament prophet Joshua, who raised his hands in prayer like the stretching branches. Driving on Route 190 near Darwin, they spotted a single tree. And that became the iconic photograph for the album. The tree photographed for the sleeve fell around 2000 but still remains a popular tourist attraction. It's a common misconception that the site is IN Joshua Tree National Park. It isn't. It's about 200 miles from there.
- The Accolades
The album debuted at number seven on the Billboards and took three weeks to reach number one, where it stayed for nine weeks. It was the bands first number one album. It's gone on to be the bands best selling album, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide and ranks in the top 40 of all time best selling albums.
In 2007, the band released a 20th year remastered addition with a bonus 14 tracks, dvd footage, a documentary and two music videos. Bono explained in the liner notes about the tense dichotomy that had inspired him.
“Two Americas, the mythic America and the real America – harsh reality alongside the dream,” he wrote. “It was prosperous and it was parched, and I began to see this era as a spiritual drought. I started thinking about the desert, and what came together was quite a clear picture of where I was at personally – a little off-kilter in my emotional life but very much waking up as a writer and as a commentator on what I saw around me, my love of America and my fear of what America could become.”
And in 2017, U2 staged a tour in which they played the album in its entirety at each show, marking the first time the band did a tour promoting a back album. They toured with The Lumineers as an opening act, and I was fortunate enough to see them both at The Rose Bowl. Had pretty decent 'seats' too
